Safety device for railroad-crossings



* t-ion thereof 4 The object of my invention is to pre- UNITED: STATES:

PATENT- omen CHARLES ALLEN SNYDER, 0F DUBUQUE, IOWA.

- sA'rE'rY nnvrcn ron nutnoamcnossmes.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 1, 1920.

Application filed January 24, 1917. Serial No. 144,228

vent collisions, or accidents. at railroad crossings by means that willcombine the qualities of simplicity, economy and efficiency, and broadlystated my invention achieves these-objects by so constructing the road,or street at or near the railroad tracks as toficompel approachingvehicles 'to travel at a" slow speed sufficiently near 2Fthe track as toenable instant stoppage, or

, a change of direction which will avoid com-. 5 in on to the track. nthe accompanying draw1ngs- Figure 1 is a top plan view showing oneembodiment ofmy invention;

Fig. 2 is a simil 'r vlew showing a different form, or shape of thespeed controllin device; 1 A fiig. 3 is a top plan VleW showing stillanother form.

Referring to the drawing, 10 designates a portion of railroad track and11 a roadway, or street crossing the same. On each side of the track at,or near the same, an obstruction 12 is provided in the roadwaypreventing a direct approach to the railroad track, to pass which theroadway is branched to provide on each side of the obstruction a sharplybent, or curved-laterally extending passage-way 13. The 010- struction12 is preferably in the form of a .mound which may be wholly, orpartially surrounded and protected by an abutment, or curb 14 of stone,or concrete and of '45 such height as to make impossible the traverse,or passage over the mound of ap preaching vehicles, so that the latterper-- force are compelled to change their direction and at sufficientlysharp angle as to' compel a reduction of speed, if at the time ofapproach the car, or vehicle is movmg at a speed that will be dangerousimmediately at or near the railroad tracks.

Situated on the moundf or obstruction, I

65 and preferably at the point, or side nearest the approaching vehicleisj a'. warning signpost 15, Wl11Ch may be be kind ordinarily, orcommonly used at railroad crossings.

- The obstruction, or mound, and the road branches about it may beangular,'as, shown in Figs. 1 and 2, or round, or elliptical, as shownin 'Fig. 3, the form being such as may-be dictated by matters ofappearance, or design, or the local conditions, or reuirements as to thereduction of speed.

he angular arrangement shown in 2,

where the turns are at right angles, 0 ously would be more effectivethan the angular arrangement shown in Fig. 1, wlfere the turns are notso abrupt, or sharp. If desired, as shown in Fig. 1, atthe angles orturns. midway of each branch, there may be a guard 16 in the form of ashort wall, or fence. By branching the road, or causingflit to' passaround the obstruction on both sides,

, not only is collision of vehicles approaching each other avoided, butshould a vehicle pass around the obstruction and bemoving at aspeed bythe time it goes around theIobstruction that would'make it difilcult tostop to: avoid a collision with a passing train,'

suchi ehicle could continue on about the obstruction and double uponitself. -An im-v portant advantage in compelling a change of .directionof a vehicle at, or near the railroad track, is that the driver-has abetter commarfil, or view of the railroad track inKthe dire tion fromwhich. approaching trains are -oming,- such View being first down alongthetrack in oneidirection as he enters the branch, and then as hemakesthe turn in the branch. to reenter themain road he commands a Viewof the railroad track in the'opposite direction. The device in itself isa warning, or notice of nearness to a railroad track so that a driverbefore he reaches the device upon seeing it knows that he is approachinga railroad crossing so that its efficiency is two-fold, for it acts as.a signal, or warning, and shouldits warning effect be disregarded, thenit compels running the vehicle at a speed which will prevent colof thesurroundings. 1'10 Har ing thus described what I claim is- 1. A railroadcrossing-lnwiil-g inthe road, or street at or near the track anobstruction, and devious passage-Ways connecting p0rtions of the road,or street on both sides of said obstruction, the opposite sides of saidI. obstruction being symmetrical, and each formed on converging lines.

2. A railroadcrossinghaving in the road,

lny inventien or street at or near the track an obstruction,

and devious passage-ways connecting portions of the road, or street onboth sides ofsaid obstruction, said obstruction being in the form of amonnd of substantial'area with sidesvthat extend first transverselyout-.

ward andfinally. transversely inward.

In testimony that Ielaim the foregoing I have hereunto set m hand.

CHARLES ALLEN SNYDER.

